BA Season 1: 1 'Beginning Anew'
by The Barracuda
Summary: Takes place after Seeds Of Change, the last episode of TGS season 2, the fan-written continuation of Gargoyles.


  
  
  
1 - "Beginning Anew"  
Originally Written: February 1st, 2000  
  
  
...Dedicated to the Dancer of the Sky...  
  
June, 1999. Takes place directly after 'Seeds of Change'.  
Night in New York city. A very disheartening phrase that can send shivers down your  
spine. Towering lights cast a haunting glow upon slick concrete streets as shadows  
converge around every corner, concealing boundless unearthly perils from unsuspecting  
eyes. A small storm had recently passed, lifting it's darkened veil from the sky, revealing  
thousands upon thousands of brilliant stars. Small puddles of rainwater collected on the  
roads and sidewalks, creating small irregular mirrors that reflected the starlight back  
towards the expanse of space.  
  
Comparable to insects, the inhabitants of the city covered the sidewalks as they hurriedly  
pushed past each other, on their way to various destinations known only to themselves.   
They had emerged from their wood and brick structures when the rain died away, and  
continued their lives without any delay.  
  
But one human stood out from the rest. He was running as fast as his legs could carry  
him. He stormed down the boulevard, shoving others out of his way with a frenzy as he  
frantically fought to get through the busy crowds. As those he cast aside wondered what  
he was running from, their answer bolted past them. A smaller, more slender shape had  
come from behind, intent on catching the large man.  
  
She was a woman, wearing tight jeans and a bomber jacket, although to the bystanders, it  
was nothing but a blur of crimson leather and dark cerulean denim. She ran on, her prey  
unaware she was steadily catching up, her smaller form easily slipping past the throng.   
She was growing weary. She didn't need this, not now and especially not tonight.   
Reaching into her jacket, she pulled out a black police-issue beretta and came to a  
screeching halt. Raising her gun into the air, she fired a shot. The bullet ripped into the  
heavens and the thundering crack erupted through the night sky, startling those within  
earshot, as they came to an abrupt stop. "FREEZE, POLICE!!!"  
  
The man froze in place and slowly looked behind him. The smaller police woman was  
near, barely meters away, pointing her gun at his face.  
  
"Place your hands behind your head and get down on the ground, NOW!!!" she yelled to  
him, her gun held steady, still trained on his upper body.  
  
The man kept his arms to his side, staring intensely into her eyes. Small droplets of  
sweat trickled down his face as an inflamed tension spread throughout his body. Out of  
the corner of his dark eyes, he noticed an alley entrance a couple of feet away. A safe  
haven of darkened obscuration, if he could reach it. He just hoped he could move faster  
than she could react. Instinct took over and he quickly ducked into the alley.  
  
"Damn it." Detective Elisa Maza muttered under her breath. He had called her bluff.   
She didn't actually want to shoot him, even though he and his friends had interrupted one  
of the most important nights in her life.  
  
Her thoughts raced back to just a couple of hours ago, back to the castle, back to the  
announcement that she and Goliath would be mated in the gargoyle tradition. Hudson  
would officiate and the clan would be witness to one of the greatest moments of her  
young existence, a bonding of her spirit to that of her eternal protector. Before any of the  
ceremony could take place, the shrill ring of a telephone shattered the tranquillity.  
  
It was Sara Jasper, with news of an assault on a government facility on the outskirts of  
the island. A small group had braved the massive security and stolen powerful  
experimental laser rifles. As they broke free, they had found themselves surrounded and  
were forced to take refuge within a loading warehouse on the shores. But the police were  
no match for the advanced weaponry, and they could barely keep the thieves at bay.  
  
She remembered looking up at Goliath, his deep onyx eyes conveying a silent  
susurration, telling her they were needed, that they were essential to catching the thieves.   
All of them. There would be another night for a mating ceremony, another night to revel  
in the love that Goliath offered to her.  
  
But one nagging feeling plagued her, for when the ceremony had been stopped, she  
almost felt...relieved? Shaking her head and coming back to the present, she focused on  
the man who had just escaped her.  
  
He was the last of the men to get away. The gargoyles had stormed the warehouse where  
the group had holed up, as Elisa, Bluestone, Jasper, and the other officers waited outside.   
An eternity to the raven haired detective, but seconds to those who found themselves at  
the mercy of the gargoyles. The sound of laser guns going off were drowned out by  
deafening warcries bursting forth the building, tearing through the still air. An eerie  
silence followed. Elisa threw Matt a fearful look, as they impatiently waited outside. As  
tough as gargoyle skin may be, it's no match for a high powered laser. But a quick  
glance to the roof told them otherwise as one by one, the clan flew off into the night sky.  
  
Breathing a sigh of relief, Elisa turned her attention to the side of the warehouse. An  
unguarded side door broke open and spilled a single man onto the wooden planks of the  
elder docks. His clothes torn from the fight, his breath heavy and ragged, he utilized the  
shadows of the pier to escape onto the streets of Manhattan. She quickly followed and  
chased after him, hoping all the way that she herself would be followed from above.  
  
Elisa approached the entrance to the alley slowly, gun withdrawn, her black boots barely  
making a sound on the graveled pavement. If he was still armed, poking her head around  
the corner could prove costly. 'One the count of three.' she thought to herself.   
'One...two...'  
  
"RRRRAAAAAUGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!"  
  
Elisa stopped herself from leaping in as a pair of ear-splitting cries pierced the night,  
causing the hairs on her neck to stand on end. 'Perfect. Backup has arrived.' Violent  
screams of fear disrupted the peaceful evening, as the resonance of human flesh scraping  
across the rugged ground tore through the narrow stone passageway, hidden away from  
the pale light. The man was desperately fighting to get away from his attackers, but his  
strength failed him as he fell beneath the forceful power of the protectors of the night. It  
all ended with a loud noise similar to concrete hitting bone. Peering into the alley, Elisa  
could make out two distinct and familiar shapes, almost specters as Cimmerian carmine  
and vivid jade blended with the brick walls.  
  
"Well, that was easy enough. It's hard to believe these monkeys gave the cops so much  
trouble." Brooklyn sarcastically chuffed while hoisting the man's limp form by his  
jacket collar. He was unconscious, knocked out by a rather strong blow to the face,  
apparent by the red mark on his right cheek.  
  
"These 'monkeys' as you put it had very powerful weapons, Brooklyn-san." Sata replied  
to her mate as she stepped from the shadows. "These laser guns were capable of piercing  
solid steel. Imagine what they could do to human flesh."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I guess. Humans are fragile aren't they, Sata?" replied Brooklyn as he  
looked back at her, with a large smirk on his beaked face.  
  
"Watch who you call fragile, pal." A voice came from the open end of the alley. "Or  
you'll have a fragile human foot across your face."  
  
"Uh, Elisa, I...uh...didn't see you there." Brooklyn said, his smirk swelling into an even  
bigger smile.  
  
"Uh huh, riiiiight." Elisa walked up to the pair and placed her gun into her holster.  
"Well, thanks guys. He was the last to be rounded up. I'll call Matt." She reached into  
her jacket and pulled out her phone, turning away from the gargoyle pair and into the  
light.  
  
Sata came over to Brooklyn and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Does Elisa-chan sound  
a little despondent to you?"  
  
"Imagine if someone had ruined your mating night by shooting up a government facility  
and forcing you to chase them down a crowded street." Brooklyn replied, the smile  
fading from his lips and his gaze centering on the unconscious thug. "It seems whenever  
Goliath and Elisa finally get some time together, something always happens to break the  
peace. And now, on the night they wanted to get married, this shit happens."  
  
"You sound frustrated, my love."  
  
"I am Sata, I am. We're all used to this crap. Look at us, we spent years drifting through  
time. But Goliath and Elisa have been plagued with constant threats, attacks, and the  
shadow of death hanging over their heads throughout their entire relationship. They  
deserve so much more." Brooklyn muttered, while lifting his head to the sky, a hint of  
anger evident in his usual amiable voice. "Oh well. Might as well giftwrap the monkey  
for Matt." Taking a piece of steel fire escape laying on the concrete ground, he wrapped  
it around the unconscious man and finished it off by tying the loose ends into a knotted  
bow. "Damn, I'm good."  
  
"Come, let us go home."  
  
"Yo, Elisa, we're ready to leave!" Brooklyn called to his friend.  
  
"I'll be right there." Elisa called back. She turned off her cell phone and took a second  
glance at the man she had been chasing, trying not to smile. Walking over to the scarlet  
gargoyle, she climbed on his back and held on as he and Sata scaled the brick building  
with a taloned grip and reached the roof.  
  
"I know I'm not your usual way of traveling, but I hope I'll do." Brooklyn said as he felt  
her hop from his back and land on the ground.  
  
"That will not be necessary, Brooklyn." A deep voice rumbled from above. "I wish to  
speak to Elisa alone, if you don't mind." It was Goliath. He flapped his wings and  
touched down gracefully, barely disturbing the layer of dirt which covered the building's  
top. He settled in a resting stance and stood to his full height. Caping his wings around  
his shoulders, he approached the threesome, his massive form blocking the light from the  
city beyond. "Excellent job, Brooklyn, Sata. You may head back to the castle now." he  
said to the timedancers and turned his gaze towards Elisa. "We...shall be along shortly."  
  
Sata just looked at her mate as Brooklyn shrugged his shoulders. Hopping on the ledge,  
they opened their wings and flew into the night, eventually climbing higher and higher in  
the direction of the Eyrie.  
  
"So, Big Guy, what do you want to talk about?" asked Elisa as she moved towards the  
lavender giant.  
  
"Us."  
  
"Us? And what about us?"  
  
"I apologize for having to postpone our mating."  
  
"We were needed. Protect and serve, remember?" Elisa replied as she allowed herself to  
be pulled into Goliath's embrace. He curled his arms around her shoulders as she placed  
her head into the space just below his chin. His wings closed around them, warming her  
to her very soul.  
  
"There is still time, Elisa-mine. We could head back and finish the ceremony before the  
coming of the dawn."  
  
"Yeah, I guess." she replied quietly, closing her eyes and breathing in Goliath's scent.   
"But then it would feel rushed, like we're trying to win a race. I want this union to be  
special, Goliath. I mean, we are getting married."  
  
"That brings another question to mind, Elisa." whispered Goliath as he placed his fingers  
under her chin and lifted her head, and looked straight into her large chestnut eyes.   
"When Sara informed us of the robbery, you almost seemed abated when we had to stop  
the ceremony. Do you...not want to go through with it?"  
  
Elisa's eyes grew wide at Goliath's question. "NO! No, of course not, Big Guy. I love  
you, and I want to spend the rest of my days with you. It's just that..." Elisa moved her  
gaze to Goliath's chest, purposely avoiding his deep onyx eyes. "Well, your suggestion  
that we get mated that very night kind of surprised me...I mean it was sort of sudden, and  
I would have liked it if my family was there."  
  
"Of course, my Elisa. Family should always be present at the mating ritual. But...that is  
not the only reason, is it?"  
  
Peering deep within herself, Elisa struggled with the feelings that had tormented her for  
hours now. There was another reason, but one she thought Goliath would never  
understand, or never want to go along with. She closed her eyes again, and placed her  
head against his body, just listening to the different sounds surrounding her. Goliath's  
great heart beating within his chest, his breath as he exhaled into the cool night air, sirens  
and car horns erupting all around the city, the murmur of thousands of different voices  
chorused into a single, distinct utterance...  
  
"Elisa...please tell me."  
  
"It's just that..." She stopped herself. She knew he wanted a simple mating ceremony,  
but she wanted more. Much more. He had already stated that 'marriage is a human  
tradition, a custom born of contracts and alliances'. Being the very traditional gargoyle  
that Goliath was, she knew there was very little chance of him changing his mind. "I'm  
off duty again in two days," she said, finally breaking the silence and meeting his eyes  
with her own, "then we can get mated. But I want my family there."  
  
"Yes. Yes, of course, Elisa." Goliath replied as he bent down and softly touched his lips  
to hers and held her in his arms.  
  
"C'mon, Big Guy, we might as well get back to the castle and tell the others the mating  
has been postponed due to rain, or in our case, thieves with big guns."  
  
Goliath picked Elisa into his massive arms and headed for the ledge. He unfurled his  
wings and dove from the edge of the building. He glided gracefully through the night air,  
catching the currents to lift himself higher as the sea tinged air coursed around his body.   
He looked down at his precious cargo as she melted into his powerful arms, sheltered in  
his forever protective embrace, and cupped his cheek with her slender hand. Her  
manicured nails, painted with a light rose cerise, followed an imaginary line of his brow,  
creating with her soft caress, a mental sketch of the simple curves of his spurs. A  
reminiscence of a touch that spoke volumes in utter silence and serenity.  
  
"I guess I better phone my parents," she started quietly, "my mom's gonna go nuts that  
we never invited them to 'Goliath and Elisa's mating: take one'."  
  
Goliath couldn't help but laugh as he and the human woman he loved flew towards his  
ancestral home, hidden above the clouds.  
  
****************************************  
  
The morning star had risen and warmed the city with it's eternal fire, encasing the  
gargoyles in stone atop the spires of Wyvern. Few clouds marked the sapphire extent of  
the daytime sky, passing remembrances of the storm from the night past. The city  
resumed it's natural pace as the day loomed verbosely in the long hours of the summer  
months. Falling asleep after Goliath had dropped her off at her apartment a half hour  
before dusk, Elisa had curled beneath the covers, her subconscious locked deeply in a  
wonderful dream.  
  
But like a mirror being shattered, Elisa was pulled from her sleep as the radio came to  
life. A copper colored hand shot from beneath the quilts and came down hard upon the  
ebony alarm clock. She pulled the covers from over her head and glanced at the time.   
4:30 in the afternoon. The sunlight filtered through the blinds, illuminating her bedroom  
in a deep orange mist. She had given herself enough time before the sun set to talk with  
her mother. She couldn't ignore her feelings, eating away at her ever since she agreed to  
mate with Goliath.  
  
She had phoned her mother just after her beloved left and told her about their impending  
nuptials. She smiled to herself as she remembered her mother's heated reaction. She  
almost lost her hearing in the ear she held against the receiver. After her mother calmed  
down, she earnestly congratulated her oldest child.  
  
Yet Elisa's tone had told her mother there was something else, kept hidden underneath  
the surface of her daughter's seemingly good mood. She knew her daughter well. Too  
well. She could tell something was wrong, and also wanted to talk further, but in person.   
They agreed to meet at her mother's house in the late afternoon.  
  
Elisa tore herself from the warmth of her bed and headed into the bathroom. After  
having a shower and getting dressed, she fed Cagney and left for her parent's home.  
  
****************************************  
  
"What is bothering you, my child?" Diane Maza asked her daughter as she handed her a  
cup of coffee.  
  
"It's just this whole mating thing," Elisa replied, accepting the cup and settling back into  
the overstuffed couch, "I'm not sure I want to go through with it."  
  
"You mean you don't want to be...mated with Goliath?" asked her mother as she  
struggled with the correct term for a gargoyle marriage.  
  
"No, of course not, why does everyone think that?" Elisa wearily exclaimed as she  
thought back to her and Goliath's conversation the night before. "I just don't want a  
simple mating ceremony. I...I..."  
  
"...want to get married." her mother finished for her.  
  
Elisa turned away from her mother's glare. She put down her coffee cup, brought her  
legs up and curled her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. She turned her  
head and gazed out the window, watching the sun as it dipped below the western skyline.   
"Remember when I was young and I used to dress up in your white linen..."  
  
"Vividly. You always said you were going to marry the perfect man."  
  
"And now...I've found him. Of course I never pictured he'd be seven and a half feet tall.  
have purple skin and have two giant wings on his back." Elisa laughed and looked back  
at her mother. "But..."  
  
"But Goliath doesn't want to get married in the human custom, does he?"  
  
Elisa didn't answer. She again turned her gaze away from her mother's eyes and looked  
around the living room, focusing in on an imaginary spot on the far wall. Between the  
ancient relics and masks from her mother's country of birth, the artifacts and tapestries  
from her father's people and the varnished teak furniture, a blending of cultures and  
style, within a small unassuming house in the suburbs of New York. "He's gone through  
a lot in his life," she began in a low rasped whisper, "he's lost almost all his family and  
friends. His gargoyle traditions are slowly being lost to him in this world. He tries to  
hold on but...I know it's hard for him. I don't want to hurt him, and the last thing I want  
to do is tell him I don't want to be mated."  
  
"But what about your traditions, Elisa." her mother replied. "You come from two very  
rich backgrounds with a lot of history between the two. You have given so much to him  
and his clan. You yourself have gone through a lot in the past six years. I mean, you've  
almost died twice for god's sake. You've been forced to live half your life in the  
shadows away from your family and friends!..." Diane stopped herself and placed her  
hand on her daughter's face, bringing it towards her. "There's a bond between you and  
Goliath that nobody can even hope to comprehend. The same bond exists between your  
father and I. Goliath loves you and you love him. If you're just honest with him about  
your feelings, I'm sure he'll understand."  
  
"Yeah, I guess." Elisa answered, sounding unconvinced. Just then, an antique clock on  
the mantle chimed in, announcing the arrival of a new hour. "Oh man, I have to be on  
shift in less than half an hour. If I'm late, captain Chavez will kill me!" Jumping up  
from the couch, Elisa grabbed her jacket and slipped on her shoes. Reaching for the  
door, she stopped and looked back at her mother. "Thanks mom, for everything."  
  
"Just promise me you'll talk to him. Goliath is very understanding, and we both know  
he'd do anything for you. Besides, I'm betting he would look pretty good in a suit and  
tie." Diane joked.  
  
"Yeah right, we'd just have to cut holes for the wings and tail...thanks again mom."  
  
"Just remember that your father and I love you very much. Now go, protect our city. I  
also have...somewhere to be." Diane smirked and cocked an eyebrow.  
  
Elisa just stared at her mother and shrugged it off. She hugged her mother, closed the  
door and walked to the fairline. As she heard the car roar to life, she wondered what her  
mother meant by that last statement. "Ever the detective, eh Maza?" she muttered and  
drove off into the setting sun.  
  
****************************************  
  
On the highest turrets of castle Wyvern, darkness enveloped the cornices as eleven  
statues exploded in a shower of flying stone. Goliath stretched his wings, and as the last  
stone remnants fell from his lavender skin, he looked down towards his clan. They were  
already dispersing for the night. Some going out for patrol and the others heading  
towards their various off-duty activities.  
  
He stared out towards the city and watched as the last rays of sunlight disappeared from  
the horizon and the city lit up, blazing with a brilliant glow just as rich as the sun. Man's  
evolution of a thousand years had produced wonders beyond Goliath's wildest  
imagination, as the tallest buildings, though dwarfed by the Eyrie, gleamed with the  
brightest of light. Humankind's determination to best his environment created a  
necessity for the ingenious, resulting in spectacular creations of their ever increasing  
grandiosity.  
  
"Beautiful view." A familiar female voice commented from behind. Goliath whirled  
around and found Diane Maza standing near the stone stairway descending to the castle  
below. She walked towards him and rested her hands on the ledge and looked towards  
the sunset. "I love this time of night. The stars come out and rest against a sky filled  
with many different colors. It's even better from this height."  
  
"Diane, it is a pleasure to see you, but also a surprise. I thought you did not enjoy  
coming to the castle." Goliath asked as he hopped from his stone perch.  
  
"I like the castle, I like the residents, and I like the view. I'm just not fond of the  
owners." Diane answered the gargoyle, turning and looking up into his face. "So, what's  
Xanatos been up to? Has he tried to take over the world recently or is he just busy  
ruining other lives beside my son's?"  
  
"You and I both know he's changed dramatically since the birth of Alexander and he's  
doing everything in his power to emend the mistakes he's made in the past." Goliath  
admonished the smaller woman. "But...you did not come here to talk about David  
Xanatos."  
  
"No. I came here to talk about someone we both care about very much."  
  
"Elisa."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then perhaps you can tell me what is bothering her."  
  
"What makes you think something is bothering her?"  
  
Goliath turned and discovered the castle below within his gaze. "She has been acting  
strange ever since I asked her to be my mate. She seems almost...hesitant to go through  
with the mating ritual." He suddenly turned towards Diane with a look of panic on his  
face. "Do you know what is wrong? Does...she not want to be mated?!"  
  
Diane walked towards Goliath and captured his immense lavender hands in her smaller  
ones. Her skin was so similar to Elisa's yet a much darker shade. "She loves you more  
than anyone on this planet, Goliath. She wants to be with you always. She wants to be  
mated with you but...not in the way you want."  
  
Goliath sighed as the look of distress was replaced with a look of resignment at Diane's  
simple words. "She wants to get married, in human ceremony."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Goliath relaxed the muscles in his hands and dipped his head, as it fell limp. "I had a  
feeling. But why wouldn't she tell me? She know she can tell me anything. She knows I  
would do anything for her, anything to make her happy."  
  
"Would you marry her in a human wedding?"  
  
Goliath was silent for a long time. He stood there, just staring at the castle courtyard.   
The wind had picked up slightly, acting like a mischievous child, invisible to the eye,  
gently tossing Goliath's sable locks about his back. "Yes," he whispered, "yes, I would."   
He turned to face Diane. A smile began to grow on his face. "I would love to marry  
Elisa, if that's what she really wants. It's just...that..."  
  
"You fear your gargoyle traditions and heritage are slowly fading into memory."  
  
"I've tried to keep them alive in the younger generation. But the longer we spend in the  
twentieth century, the less and less it seems they need them, or even want to hear about  
them."  
  
"Goliath, I know more than anyone how important family heritage is, and I also know  
that the other gargoyles are proud of who they are and where they come from. As long as  
people like you and Hudson keep these traditions alive, they'll live on forever through  
your children and grandchildren. Just because you adopt human customs, it doesn't  
mean you're losing anything. In fact," Diane continued, raising a finger, "it means  
you're gaining a wife."  
  
"My...wife."  
  
"Sounds good, doesn't it? There's no better feeling than calling the woman you love,  
your wife. Just ask Peter."  
  
"It sounds nice. Elisa Maza...my wife." he practiced, his smile growing.  
  
"There are other perks as well, Goliath. Have you ever seen a bride's dress? Have you  
ever imagined Elisa in that dress?" Diane continued with Goliath hanging on her every  
word. "Imagine watching her walk down the aisle towards you, as your friends and  
family watch on. Slipping the ring on her finger, and declaring in front of everybody, just  
how much you love her. Dancing, laughing, sharing fond memories at the reception. I  
remember my own wedding, Goliath, and it's forever within my most cherished of  
memories. That's what Elisa wants. And that's what she wants to share with you." And  
with that, Diane looked at her watch. "Well, it's late and I'd better get going."  
  
"Thank you, Diane. Thank you for everything. This conversation has been surprisingly  
enjoyable."  
  
"So, what are you going to do now?"  
  
"I'm going to see my Elisa. If she wants a wedding, that is what she shall have."  
  
"Good." Diane replied, as she started down the steps. "Besides, you'll look great in a  
tuxedo."  
  
"A WHAT?!!!"  
  
****************************************  
  
"God, what a night." exclaimed Elisa as she reached into her pocket for her apartment  
keys. A grueling nine hour shift was her reward for keeping the streets safe tonight.   
Stepping through the doorway, she walked over to the couch, flicked on a single lamp  
and collapsed in a heap. She laid her head back and her eyelids drooped closed. The  
sounds of the city resonated just beyond her walls and she took comfort in it's ever  
present whispered undertones.  
  
But a soft creak of the floorboards from within her apartment warned her of a presence  
behind. Before she could react, a pair of giant lavender arms wrapped around her.   
"Goliath?!"  
  
"Good evening, my Elisa. How was your day?"  
  
"Jeez, Big Guy, you scared the hell out of me! What are you doing here?" she asked,  
turning to face her giant love.  
  
"I need to talk to you."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"About our mating?"  
  
"Oh. Goliath, I told you I'm..." She couldn't finish as a taloned finger brushed up  
against her lips, effectively silencing her.  
  
"Your mother came to see me just after sunset."  
  
Elisa gasped and swore under her breath. Knowing what her mother had most likely told  
Goliath, all she could do was sit there with a shocked expression on her face as he got up  
and started towards the kitchen. Elisa hopped off the couch and bolted towards the Big  
Guy with the intent of beating him to where she knew he was headed.  
  
But it was too late. He reached to the top of the fridge and grabbed a pile of magazines  
that were shoved near the back. Elisa paused as Goliath started thumbing through the  
stack. He turned around and looked at her. She placed a slender hand over her eyes and  
groaned. Held in Goliath's amethyst grasp were copies of bridal catalogs and wedding  
brochures left over from Angela's mating ceremony, worn slightly from overuse. Fox  
had used them to help plan everything. She pulled her hand from her face and looked  
sheepishly at Goliath. He smiled. "You obviously know what your mother and I talked  
about. She told me where you kept these magazines. Why didn't you tell me you wanted  
a human wedding?"  
  
"I...I...didn't want..."  
  
"...to hurt my feelings?" he finished for her. "The only thing that hurts is the fact that  
you lied to me."  
  
"But I just wanted to...I mean you...you've lost so much...I..."  
  
"...wanted to help me keep my traditions alive. You wanted to honor my wishes."  
  
"Yeah. ...'a custom born of contracts and alliances'..." Elisa repeated his words back to  
him. "You didn't seem to like the whole wedding thing, and I know that there's a lot of  
people that wouldn't approve to a human and gargoyle being married..."  
  
"Elisa, I only have one thing to say about 'those people'..." He lowered his head to her  
level and looked deeply into her eyes. "Screw them."  
  
Elisa couldn't help but laugh. She knew she was rubbing off on him, but it still sounded  
pretty funny whenever Goliath used bad language.  
  
"I know you were trying to help me, but your mother convinced me that my traditions  
will never die as long as we never forget where we have come from...and where we are  
going." Goliath stepped forward and embraced Elisa into his arms. He pressed her  
against him while lowering his head into her lush ebony hair. She responded by  
wrapping her arms around his massive waist and placing her head upon his chest. This is  
where she most wanted to be. Safe and warm in the embrace of the man she loves more  
than life itself. The couple moved slowly towards the living room, stopping in front of  
the couch. "I have one final question for you, my Elisa...do you want a human  
wedding?"  
  
"Yes...no...I..."  
  
Goliath stepped back from her. His arms rose up and gently but firmly cupped her small  
feminine face in his powerful hands. His charcoal glare held her firmly in place.   
"Answer me, Elisa Maza...DO YOU want to get married?"  
  
"Yes...yes I do. I want to walk down the aisle in my mother's wedding dress. I want all  
of my family and friends gathered to join us. I want to stand in front of the people we  
care about and tell all of them just how much I love you. I want to dance with you until  
the sun comes up, I want..."  
  
"Then, Elisa, let's get married."  
  
"Do...do you mean it?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Oh, Goliath." Elisa jumped up and coiled her arms around his neck, and pressed her  
lips to his. The force of her leap caused Goliath to lose his balance and fall back onto the  
sofa, creaking under his massive weight. She pressed against him, kissing even deeper as  
she savored the unwavering love that surrounded them. His hands roamed her slender  
body, tracing her hips and buttocks, gently rising up her sides and continuing up her arms  
until he caught her hands in his own. He could scarcely believe that, in this small fragile  
form, there lay a love so pure, so unimaginatively powerful, that it filled his entire being.   
He would do anything for her. Elisa's hands broke free of Goliath's as she explored his  
enormous chest, using her nails to trace the curvature of his muscles down to his waist.   
Goliath continued kissing down her neck and, upon reaching her shoulders, his fingers  
fumbled with the buttons on her shirt, and pulled it down to just above her breasts.  
  
Goliath paused for one minute, and looked deep into her chocolate eyes. "I only have  
one condition, my Elisa..."  
  
As she was momentarily pulled from her love-making, she gave him a puzzled look.  
  
"...I want a honeymoon." She smiled and pulled herself towards him as their lips met,  
her sweet mouth moving gently against his own. With one fluid motion, she removed her  
shirt and bra and squirmed from her jeans. She reached behind Goliath's head and turned  
the lamp off, allowing the faint moonlight to be their only guide.  
  
"I love you, my Elisa."  
  
"I love you, Big Guy."  
  
And so it begins... 


End file.
